Bottle cooling rack



Feb. 13, 1940. A. E. GREGORY BOTTLE COOLING RACK l 3mm/w@ A2 M W50/v@2560@ Y.

Filed Oct. 2l, 1938 Patented Feb. 13,v 1940 UNITED, STATES PATENT orticaI' y Y2,190,474 f l BOTTLE COOLING RACK` y Alva. Eagon Gregory,Nashville, Tenn. y Application ctober21, 1938, Serial No. 236,355

, 2 Claims.

This invention refers to bottle holders and boxes and more particularlyto arrangements for holding and securing bottles conveniently therein.It has among its objects to provide `an in- 5 sertable frame and basketfor an ice or cooling box of conventional type, in such a manner as tomake a more complete arrangement for holding bottles therein in the mostconvenient manner. A further object is to have the device simple inconstruction and adapted for easy'manipulation and use.y Another objectis to have the bottles so held that they cannot be upset or turned overwhile in the device. Other objects will become apparent as the inventionis more fully set'forth.

In the conventional type of ice box vor cooling cabinet, bottles are setloosely and upright in the same. When the box vor cabinet is f ull,adequate Ysupport is given each bottle by the neighboring ones, to keepit from falling on its side. As bottles are removed or the box orcabinet is made less full, less support isgivenreach bottle and itstendency to tip over `is increased.

The cooling water provided in the box to surround and closely contactthe exterior surfaces of the bottles not only serves to make the coolingmore effective, but also lhas a buoyancy effect that makes the bottlespartially unstable# l The lack of solid stability makes the taking andplacing of the bottles in the boX a matter of considerableinconvenience, particularly to a storekeeper or othery manipulating thebottles for use. In

this invention, the device provides a frameworkv that attachs. to theice box or cooling cabinet tial arrangement in it,'.as well as provisionfor advertising matter. In this frame', a basket is inserted thatprovides an individual compartment for each bottle and keeps itpositioned in 40 the alignment selected -by the user.

This affords many advantages, besides that of holding the bottles up andpreventing them from tipping easily. The baskets may be partitioned toplacefthe bottles at an angle to lessen the depth of the box or cabinetnecessary to hold them, and also to position the bottles so their labelsmay be easily read` andY identified,` without removing them from'v thecooling box as now rei in a convenient vmanner and providesa substan-(Cl. S12- 172) which is transmitted through the box to the bottles. Thisvibration is quite continuous and in time, causes the lining of the boxto be worn through and leak. The frame and basket prevent this wear andalso keep the bottles 'offthe Iioor of the lining and any sedimentthatmight y' lil' Figure l is va perspective view of 'a cooling cabiv netwith a basket and frame embodying this invention, with the coolingcabinet shown in dotted outline,

FigureZ is a side elevation of the basket frame in section, r l Figure 3is a modified form of basket used to provide an arrangement forpositioning the bottles angularly,

v and Figure 4 is a detail of the extensible arrange# v ment used in thebasket.H

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughoutthedrawing.

In the drawing l represents the back of a cooling box frame that isconstructed so as to readily fit into a -conventional cooling box H. Theback is preferably made of sheet metal and has suitable ledge pieces3'provided on it forsecuring'same to the top edges l2 of the cooling boxso they'may rest 'on same. The sides 2 ofv the frame are T-like in formbent at right angles on two ends of the back as indicated, andr are alsoprovided with ledge pieces 3. The under portion of the frame is openand'is arranged with legsy I3 and formed with foot rests li, basketshelves `5, and basket stops 4. A basket 8 is insertable on the frameand rests on the'shelves 5. yIt is preferablycomposed of wire or vrodsof suitable mesh to allow the cooling water to pass freely therethroughVand to give ample strength and stiffness to the basket.v Ithasreinforcing straps l secured exteriorly to it and has a slip piece 20provided to lock it in the frame. The legs vI3 are arranged as shown`with edges cut away from the front and rear to provide ample spaces forthe circulation of water around the frame basket andv bottles containedtherein. The basketis set in the frame on the shelves 5 that keep it offthe floor of the box and permits under-circulation. The frame is soformed as to hold the basket securely. The basket is also provided withcross-wire partitions |8 that are suflicient to hold each bottle 2|individually in the compartments so formed. These compartments serve toposition the bo-ttles in any suitable manner and to keep each by itself.The bottles can be removed from the compartments easily and no otherbottle is disturbed, other than the one removed.

When the basket is filled with bottles, it is placed in the frame in thebox readily, and may also be removed at any time. This permits thebottles to be placed in the basket while outside of the box, inpreferance to performing the same task while the basket is in thecooling box with its cooling water. This prevents a lot of splashing andinconvenience that present methods entail. The frame is removable alsoand may `be,

-inspected and cleaned at any time with facility. The coolingr Waterline 30 comes approximately to a line situated just above the upper rods`of the basket. The handle openings 22, formed by punching a hole ineach leg 2, are rolled so their edges will not cut the user.

. In the modified form, the bottles are positioned at an angle in thebasket B to permit the depth of the cooling box to be reduced, and thelabels or markings on the bottles to be seen without removing them fromthe cooling waters or cooling box. The basket is made with its wires orrods 28 formed at an angle for positioning the bottles in the mannerdesired.

It is desirable in these devices to have means for adjusting them foryvarious size ice and cooling boxes, which are met with in dailypractice. This is provided for in this application by having the backpanel I, separable and a tongue member 3| arranged to t slots 32provided as indicated. This permits the back to'be adjusted to suit thelength of box used for cooling-purposes, and does not materially affectthe strength of the frame. Similarly the basket is provided withsupplementary rods 33 inserted in slots 34, that permit the basket to beextended and adjust itself to t the extended frame, as may be required.These rods and tongue are preferably provided. near the central portionof the frame and basket, so as to make them more accessible. The parts3|, 32, 33 and 34 that permit the extension longitudinally of the frameand basket, are simple structurally, consisting generally of telescopingmembers tted to each other, in the form of rods of smaller diameter onone section of the basket and extending out therefrom aligned andsliding into tubular formations made in the other section of the basketadjacent to the rst section, similar to that use for adjustable curtainrods of conventional construction, while the rear wall or back panel isprovided with a tongue 3| attached to one section of the rearv wall ofthe frame aligned with slots 32 and extending from its sectionsufciently'to permit its insertion and i adjustment in the lattercooperatively with the functional characteristics of the frame andbasket. Its general operation appears to beobvious from this descriptionand the dotted outline in-` dicated in Figure 1.

A feature of value in connection with this device is that the user ofthe frame and basket have a very clear visual knowledge of the basketand can tell immediatelyvhow many are empty and how many are lled. Thisenables inventories of bottles used during a denite predeterminedvperiodto be made readily and Without` of the use of the bottles in acertain time.

` yWhile but two forms rvof this invention are i shown in the drawingand described in the specication, it is notdesired to limit thisapplication for patent to these particular forms, otherwise'than limited'by'- the prior art, as it is appreciated that other constructions mightbe used that would employ the same principles and come Within the scopeof the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention,- what is claimed is: y,

1. In combination `with a cooling box of the class describeda bottlecrate comprising aframe of flat material formed into a three-sided shapehaving a rear Wall andtwo side walls extending perpendicularly therefromhorizontally and having a vertical T-,form shape with the enlarged headportions joining and aligning' with the said rear wall at the upperportion of the frame, ledge pieces on the upper edge portions of thewalls extending externally therefrom for engagement on the cooling boxto position the frame therein, handle means in the side walls, stops onthe front portions ofthe side walls-formed toextend'in front oftheframe, shelves mounted on the lower leg portionsof the side walls andinternally directed therefrom, a basket having an open-work` cellconstructionl and rectangularform adapted to t within the'space betweenthe side walls and loosely hold and position bottles therein, and to beheld by said stops and shelves. the position of` portion of the frame,ledge pieces' on the upper edge portions ofv the walls extendingtherefrom for engagement on the cooling box, stops on the front portionslof theside walls formed in thel frame, shelves mounted on the lowerportions of the side Walls, a basket having an openwork cellconstruction adapted to t within the space between the side walls andhold and position fthe bottles therein, and to beheld by said lstopsandshelves, the position of the basket being below the normal water line ofthe said box, slip pieces on the basket for holding the basket to theframe.

' ALVA EAGON GREGORY.

